'The Bearded One' Looks To Stay

"pleasyre" thats swedish you know, UTV

that is a lovely beard!

They will be crying into their champagne and prawn sandwiches come november 8th ! less harsh this time , Tarts !!

yeah sign him up even the communication barrier between him and Sorrenson has bin sorted.

A bit controversial this and totally opposite to what everbody is saying but how is this for a thought? Arsene Wenger and to some extent Alex Ferguson have made a habit of knowing the best time to let a player go. The best example being Viera. He cost a couple of million in his early 20's and was sold as a 30 year old for £14 million. What great business. I am not saying it is the right thing to do but maybe it is worth looking at letting Mellberg go as he is nearly 30. His value has to be about £8 million. We have three other centre halfs in Laursen, Cahill and Ridgewell. Some of the money would be invested in a young up and coming centre half, so that we still have 4 players for the 2 positions. Any remaining money to go towards strengthining other areas of the team. In recent years we have had great service from the likes of Merson, Dublin and Stone. With transfer fees and wages these three players alone cost the club almost £40 million. We got nothing back for them. It is impossible for any business to survive like this. The skill is in getting the best years from a player and then getting the biggest possible transfer fee. You then have to find a replacement with potential, someone like Curtis Davis at the Albion for example who was snapped up for £3 million.It may be harsh, but I think it is true. The alternative is we sign Mellberg on a longer contract, get great service, but ultimately no financial return. It is a tough call but if you ask Arsenal fans if they would rather now have Viera or Fabregas it is a no brainer. That got the best years from Viera and now have an 18 year old potential superstar on an 8 year contract.

Plus i dont want Olly to leave, just as i got a shirt with his name on! :D

Silkie, I am non commital either way. But I do think it is an area worth looking at. As for scrimping and saving, every penny still matters at our football club. To get £8 million for a 30 year old and reinvest £2/3 million in a 20 year old would be seen in some quarters as good business?? Randy will run Villa like a business and not plough his own money in, unlike Abromobiatch. Every player has a price and if we were to get something like £8 million for Olly, there may be some logic to taking that sort of money and reinvesting it in a young centre half with potential. I think the Curtis Davis example was a valid one. I agree that if his market value is neither here or there, then it would make sense to keep him. I also see the logic in selling almost any player if you are able to get considerably more than their perceived market value.

no way should we sell are best defender,do we see any of top teams selling their top players coming 2 their peak unless they want 2 go?think all villa fans would be 100 per cent against this idea!end of....................

Selling Olly would be really bad business when you concider that he is a key part of our defence, a defence that may well get us into European competition, something that is worth £8 million just for UEFA, much more if it's CL.

What a turnaround in that a mere few months back everybody and his dog wanted out of Villa Park. Get him signed up I say. We want to build a strong, competitive squad, and Olof still has plenty to offer us. It seems as if he's been with us forever. A great signing. A Villa stalwart.